Security Company Wants Cars Equipped with Antivirus Software

Security Company Wants Cars Equipped with Antivirus Software

Cars and automobiles are becoming smarter and smarter through the use of computers, but that also means they may be becoming easier to hack and break into. Karamba Security, an Israel-based technology company, wants to prevent your car from being hacked while you're traveling 70 mph down the freeway. They announced this week the development of an 'antivirus' software for car's computer systems in order to make them much safer.

“Cars are becoming more and more connected, and connected means you open them up to the internet in various ways. They become targets for hackers, and the idea is it’s not necessarily a point-to-point hack. Hackers for criminal or terror reasons could hack into one model in a metropolitan area and shut down the engines on all of those cars at the same time of the day.” ~ David Barzilai, tells Inverse

With cars now being able to control driving through the use of autopilot and other built-in technologies, protecting your car's software is becoming much more important. Potential threats could come in through many systems in your automobile, whether it be your stereo's Bluetooth ability or by mirroring the car's remote signal. Karamba's technology will work on any car, and require very little customization. Essentially, the antivirus code will read the computer's factory setting and make sure no deviations from such will ever occur. If foreign code comes in, it is blocked, just like typical computer antivirus software.

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So far, the company has secured US$2.5 million in investments to pursue this technology, and they are hoping to have it implemented on cars before they ever leave the lot. This puts the strain on car manufacturers rather than the consumers themselves, making everyone's lives just a little bit easier.

You may still be thinking that the actual risk to car hacking isn't that big yet, but major corporations and securities firms are warning consumers of the increasing threat. The FBI is even warning the U.S. people as well as the senate of the dangers to loss of engine and steering control posed by malicious code or remote vehicle hacking, according to Inverse. As technology and driving get more advanced, the protection systems incorporated into cars and other vehicles need to advance as well.

SEE ALSO: Google Foresees New Passwords for Cyber Security

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